Can't reach Washington Unemployment? Claimyr connects you to a live ESD agent in minutes.
Claimyr is a pay-as-you-go service. We do not charge a recurring subscription.
Using Claimyr will:
- Connect you to a human agent at the ESD
- Skip the long phone menu
- Call the correct department
- Redial until on hold
- Forward a call to your phone with reduced hold time
- Give you free callbacks if the ESD drops your call
If I could give 10 stars I would
If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
Really made a difference
Really made a difference, save me time and energy from going to a local office for making the call.
Worth not wasting your time calling for hours.
Was a bit nervous or untrusting at first, but my calls went thru. First time the wait was a bit long but their customer chat line on their page was helpful and put me at ease that I would receive my call. Today my call dropped because of EDD and Claimyr heard my concern on the same chat and another call was made within the hour.
An incredibly helpful service
An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
Consistent,frustration free, quality Service.
Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
IT WORKS!! Not a scam!
I tried for weeks to get thru to EDD PFL program with no luck. I gave this a try thinking it may be a scam. OMG! It worked and They got thru within an hour and my claim is going to finally get paid!! I upgraded to the $60 call. Best $60 spent!
Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
One thing to watch out for - if you turn down suitable work during your 26 weeks, Washington ESD can disqualify you and cut off your benefits early. So be careful about being too picky.
How do they define 'suitable work'? Is it just anything in my field or does pay matter too?
It's complicated but generally work is considered suitable if it's in your skill set and pays at least 70% of your previous wages, with some other factors. But this is where talking to an agent can help clarify your specific situation.
Bottom line - you get 26 weeks max, use them wisely, keep good records, and hopefully you'll find something great before you need all of them. Good luck with your job search!
Thanks everyone! This has been really helpful. I feel much more informed about what to expect over the next few months.
These forum discussions are so much more helpful than trying to decode the Washington ESD website sometimes!
Join the conversation
Looking back at your original post, with 18 months at $22/hour you should have decent base period wages. Manufacturing jobs usually have consistent hours too, which helps. You'll probably qualify for a reasonable benefit amount, just need to get the exact calculation from Washington ESD.
Yeah I was working pretty much full time the whole period, sometimes with overtime. Hopefully that helps my case.
Overtime definitely counts toward your base period wages, so that's good news for your benefit calculation.
Final thought - once you do get your benefit amount figured out, make sure you understand the job search requirements too. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and they do audit people randomly. Just want to make sure you're prepared for all aspects of the process.
Smart to stay ahead of it. The job search requirements are pretty straightforward but you need to keep good records of your activities.
This whole thread has been super helpful. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences with benefit calculations!
Join the conversation
One final thought - if you do end up needing to call Washington ESD for any reason and can't get through, definitely check out that Claimyr service. It's been a game changer for actually reaching agents when you need help.
I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully I won't need to call but good to know there's an option if I do.
I second this recommendation. Used Claimyr last month when I had an issue with my weekly claim and it worked great.
Update: Just finished filing my initial claim online! It was actually much easier than I expected. Thanks everyone for pushing me to just do it. Now I wait and see what happens.
Awesome! You should get some kind of confirmation number or letter. Keep that safe along with any other documentation they send you.
Congrats on getting it done! The hardest part is often just starting the process.
Join the conversation
The bottom line is yes, you do pay into unemployment insurance as an employee in Washington state. It's a small percentage of your paycheck that gives you the right to collect benefits if you become unemployed through no fault of your own.
Perfect summary! Thanks everyone for helping me understand how this works.
Glad this thread helped clarify things. It's important for workers to understand their benefits and contributions.
One more thing - if you ever switch jobs or have gaps in employment, your prior contributions still count toward your benefit eligibility. The system tracks your wage history across different employers.
Good to know! I was wondering about that since I've had a few different jobs.
Yeah, Washington ESD looks at your wage history over a specific base period to determine your benefit amount and eligibility.
Caden Turner
This has been really informative! Sounds like the key points are: file ASAP, report all earnings honestly, keep up with job search requirements, and be patient with the process. Did I miss anything major?
0 coins
Misterclamation Skyblue
•Perfect summary! I feel much more confident about filing now. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information.
0 coins
Sophia Gabriel
•And don't hesitate to use resources like Claimyr if you need to actually speak with Washington ESD staff about your specific situation. Sometimes you just need that human contact to get things sorted out.
0 coins
McKenzie Shade
One last tip - screenshot or print important pages from your claim as you go through the process. Sometimes the Washington ESD system can be glitchy and it's good to have records of what you submitted and when.
0 coins
Misterclamation Skyblue
•Smart advice! I'll definitely keep good records throughout the process.
0 coins
McKenzie Shade
•Yeah, it's just a good practice with any government website honestly. Better safe than sorry!
0 coins